Advice for new cloth nappy user?

banbhaaifric

Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone has any advice for someone who will be new to cloth nappies?

We have bought ours second hand and so have a combination of 12 bambino mio, and 21 bum genius. The bambino mio were never used and the bum genius have no cracks in the pul and the elastic is in good shape so we should be good to go.

Money is going to be a bit of an issue so we are very keen to make a proper go of using them.

Any and all advice appreciated!:)

Little My

Disposable liners make the whole cloth nappy thing a lot easier.

Take advantage of good weather to get them drying in the sun - it helps bleach them to keep them white. If inside we dried them on the radiator, some people don't advise this as they say it makes them go crispy but I never really find it a problem.

Get a decent bin with a locking lid to trap the smell (although in defense of cloth nappies its no worse than a bin full of disposables).

I prefer the bumgenius microfleece liner with the snaps to the organic cotton one that folds.

Give yourself time to get used to them - it takes a bit of trial and error to get the size right and they need a good few washes to build up absorbancy if they are new. It's probably very tempting to give up if you have a lot of leaks to begin with.

cailindeasciun

Hi,We've used bumgenius freetime for the last 12months. Put a small scrap of material with a drop of lavender in the nappy bucket to help take care of unpleasant smells. Be careful of what washing powder you use as they can build up residue on the nappy and affect its absorbancy. We learnt this the hard way and now use eco sprout (http://www.fluffheaven.com/index.php/cloth-nappy-accessories/cloth-nappy-washing-accessories/eco-sprout-24oz-detergent.html) and have had no problems since. Also be careful if you are using a nappy cream as the zinc in them can build up in the nappies also. We love our cloth nappies and wouldn't be without them. Once you get into your routine of washing them and knowing how long they will take to dry, they are no hassle.

lazygal

We use fuzzibunz but many pocket nappies are similar. You'll need about 20 to see you through three days, washing on the third day. I find they dry very quickly on a clothes horse, do an extra spin in the machine after the wash. Use the flushable liners. If they aren't being flushed with a poo, we wash them with the nappies and reuse them too. You need to wash them a few time before initial use to get the absorbancy right. It is trial and error but worth sticking with as the savings are brilliant and they aren't much hassle once you get used to them.
I switched to cloth wipes too because it was as easy to wash them with the nappies as to chuck a wipe in the bin. I'd also recommend looking out for people selling them on second hand as sometimes you'll pick them up very cheaply nearly new, and they can be handy to add to your stash. We don't use nappy cream on the rare occasions you get a rash, use cornflower shaken on or made into a paste with a little water for a bad rash. It washes right out. You get less rash with cloth anyway.


ETA, should have read better, I see you did buy second hand!

uck51js9zml2yt

soak them in napisan.

we used them on number 1 are will again on the next one.

definitely use disposable liners

iguana

There are a couple of Irish cloth nappy groups on facebook that are very useful. One for chat and arranging meetings with other cloth nappy users and another for buying and selling secondhand nappies. (Not sure if it's ok to post links here?) I also find this blog very useful; http://www.theflufflady.co.uk/

I'll go against the grain and say I don't use disposable liners, I started out with them but fleece feels so dry up against the baby's skin that I don't want anything to get between his skin and the fleece. If I'm using my Little Lamb's fitted nappies I use a fleece liner and as my pocket nappies are a fleece inner I don't use anything with them. If a baby is exclusively breastfed the poo can just go in the machine and since he started solids if he poos in the nappy I use the showerhead on full force to blast the poo off the nappy. It takes a couple of seconds and works brilliantly. Natural light removes all stains given enough time, bright sun will get rid of the stains in an hour or so. It takes longer to bleach on a dull day but the nappies take longer to dry then too, so the stains tend to be gone by the time they dry.

I love them they are very, very little extra work for the benefits. I save a fortune, in fact I don't bother with a bin service which I would need if I used disposables so that alone is a big saving, they smell so much nicer. Best of all, my son's skin seems to be very sensitive, in disposables, even with a barrier cream, he gets an awful rash that looks like a chemical burn. In cloth he never has any problems and I haven't had to use any creams on him since he was a newborn. And they look adorable.

MurdyWurdy

Another vote here for disposable liners, I get flushable biodegradable ones from Boots. They're 3 times the price but worth it, imo.

We use baba and boo nappies and love them - mainly for the money we save but also it really reduces our waste. My LO is only 7 weeks so we're not super experienced yet but my big advice is that getting them to fit is trial and error. The baba and boo ones have poppers and the side tags are supposed to fold over each other for babies up to 14lbs. Mine is only about 11lbs now but his waist is far too big for that. I had to experiment a bit with the poppers to get the right fit. We only have leaks now if he has done a large poo and I haven't realised it for a bit. They are designed to take two inserts and we're only using one so we have that option to move up to soon.

Also, advice from other baba and boo mums is to do a cold rinse cycle before and after you wash the nappies (at 40C) Which i've been doing. Charcoal inserts for nights are also popular but I haven 't tried them yet.

Best of luck! Love the advice in this thread, my baby is ebb so the nappies are easy to rinse, everyone says I'll give up when he moves to solids so nice to hear it's not that bad. They are only a little bit if extra work for the benefits.

MurdyWurdy

Actually is napisan a special product or is it just what vanish is called now? I lived in NZ for a while and there it was called vanish with napisan or something like that. Is it ok against baby's sensitive skin? I'm careful about the products I use so am not sure about stain removal stuff

Rosy Posy

Repost from a thread last year:

I use Imse Vimse because I wanted an all natural nappy and cover although they do have plastic covers as well. I tried a few brands before deciding on them. I have been washing cloth nappies for five and a half years now...you just get into a rhythm with it and get used to it. Saying that I live in the country in a much drier and sunnier climate than Ireland. The sunshine is brilliant for bleaching out any stains. I used cloth from the start because I thought that if I got into the habit of using disposables it would be too hard to go back. I liked the Imse Vimse because you can use the same inner parts the whole way up and its just the covers that change sizes. With the wool covers you only need three or four and you can just hang them up to air and they don't smell- you just have to wash them if they get soiled. I also use flat nappies inside the covers now, to stretch my supply out so I don't have to wash them as often. One thing that I would say to you when you're calculating the cost is that now, on baby number three, the original nappies are in tatters. I've had to throw out a few and the rest of them are no more than rags really. Now this doesn't bother me but if you were planning a big family and expecting one set of nappies to do you for the lot then I'd definitely say that you'd be pushing it to get them to last three babies.

Rosy Posy

On disposable liners- I tried them but found that while they caught the poo the wee sometimes rolled over the surface of them and leaked.

We got a hose attachment for our toilet to spray off the poo- it's a godsend.

lazygal

Napisan is for washing nappies - it was available widely during the terry cloth days but I've found it difficult to source. I used a small amount of washing powder and added bread soda and a few drops of tea tree oil to this. I've been recommended this: http://www.milliesnappies.co.uk/category.php?id_category=94
by a cloth nappy group and I've just ordered it. Seems to be very good.

It's been a few years since I used old Terry nappies and admire anyone who commits to using cloth! One tip I could suggest, is if they are dried indoors and are a bit hard, give them 10 minutes at least in tumble dryer. It softens them up great without having to use softeners that may irritate a little botty.

lazygal

Ah now, if the cloth were that hard I freely admit I probably wouldn't be bothering with them. The new generation nappies are a world away from the terrycloth squares most people associate with cloth nappies and I find them extremely easy to use. It probably took about a month for me to get into the swing of things with them, but I'm not one bit worried about having two in cloth very soon. I think if more people realised just how easy they are and how the savings add up, not just in buying nappies but in disposing of them, they might consider them. I've did a quick add up of what others have spent on disposables vs what we've spent getting our nappy stash together (mostly new, but these will be used on a second child, and a good few second hand bought from other nappy user) and I reckon they've easily paid for themselves twice over.

MurdyWurdy

God yes, the new nappies are nothing like the old terry square ones. Rookie are shocked I use cloth nappies until they see what they look like now! It's really not a lot of extra work, imo. We have friends staying who are thinking of having a baby soon and they are really impressed with them.

I'll see if I can find some napisan, there's also an Eco nappy cleaner on the earth mother website I was thinking of trying,

sunshiner

im using bum genius i find them great i must get a couple more and build up my stash.

MurdyWurdy

Can't find napisan in any supermarket although Tesco say they have it online. Anyone any ideas?

I did discover the other day that although I thought I was washing the nappies at 40C the machine temp dial had been set to cold wash. Worst mammy ever! The nappies were ponging a bit and now I know why. Have done two proper warm washes now and all stains are gone and they smell nice again so the napisan or equivalent isn't super urgent. I was all set to head to my parents place to use their washing line (we're in an apartment) as apparently sunshine/uv rays are the best de-stainer but that won't be necessary now

lazygal

I've never found napisan. I'm using ecosprout which I bought online, one big bag will do for ages.

Rosy Posy

Baking soda and tea tree oil?

lazygal

I used baking soda and tea tree oil with a tiny bit of detergent but a smell built up. The eco sprout seems better.

Rosy Posy

lazygal wrote: »

I used baking soda and tea tree oil with a tiny bit of detergent but a smell built up. The eco sprout seems better.

A smell on the nappies or in the machine? Of tea tree oil or of something unsavoury? I never had this issue but I line dried my nappies 99% of the time. Napisan and eco versions of same are readily available here in NZ, they're called 'oxygenated whiteners' and seem to be made up of mostly mineral salts and plant extracts.

MurdyWurdy

Rosy Posy wrote: »

A smell on the nappies or in the machine? Of tea tree oil or of something unsavoury? I never had this issue but I line dried my nappies 99% of the time. Napisan and eco versions of same are readily available here in NZ, they're called 'oxygenated whiteners' and seem to be made up of mostly mineral salts and plant extracts.

In nz doesn't vanish oxyaction say it has napisan in it? The big round pink tub? (I lived in NZ for a few years and used it there for stain removal ).

We had friends visiting from NZ over the weekend and they came to the supermarket with me to look for napisan (don't say i don't show my guests a good time!) They pointed out the pink tub of vanish but here it doesn't say anything about napisan, online here it's a separate little red box.

I may just have to source something else, like the eco stuff although they're smelling ok for the moment.

Incidentally, are cloth nappies popular in NZ? They're planning to have a baby soon and I think I converted them to cloth I was thinking that when the time (hopefully) comes I'd get them a few as a baby present. Are all the usual brands available there?

lazygal

Rosy Posy wrote: »

A smell on the nappies or in the machine? Of tea tree oil or of something unsavoury? I never had this issue but I line dried my nappies 99% of the time. Napisan and eco versions of same are readily available here in NZ, they're called 'oxygenated whiteners' and seem to be made up of mostly mineral salts and plant extracts.

I line dry mine too, we don't have a dryer. I noticed a slight ammonia smell so stripped them with eco sprout, did a cold rinse and they're like new. I only use a tablespoon of it for a full load now. I've also cleaned the machine on a hot wash with vinegar just in case. No issues since.

iguana

I don't use any special type of washing detergent. I just don't use my usual Ecover as it's not recommended for nappy washing. I've read that detergents like Napisan shorten the lifespan of nappies as they are too harsh. Natural light will remove stains through glass too, so you can always put your stained nappies by a sunny window if you don't have outside space.

OT but natural light removes all biological stains, so is also great for getting stains like tomato sauces off clothing too.

MurdyWurdy

iguana wrote: »

I don't use any special type of washing detergent. I just don't use my usual Ecover as it's not recommended for nappy washing. I've read that detergents like Napisan shorten the lifespan of nappies as they are too harsh. Natural light will remove stains through glass too, so you can always put your stained nappies by a sunny window if you don't have outside space.

OT but natural light removes all biological stains, so is also great for getting stains like tomato sauces off clothing too.

That's good to know, we've a big window that gets loads of sun and I do put the clothes horse there for the nappies to dry. I've never put them in the drier, I just felt that with all the energy that would cost any savings by not using disposables would be lost!

Sweet_pea

I joined the facebook group and have found it really useful, I'm still pregnant but just trying to do some research first and they give great personal reviews on the different types.

Rosy Posy

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

In nz doesn't vanish oxyaction say it has napisan in it? The big round pink tub? (I lived in NZ for a few years and used it there for stain removal ).

We had friends visiting from NZ over the weekend and they came to the supermarket with me to look for napisan (don't say i don't show my guests a good time!) They pointed out the pink tub of vanish but here it doesn't say anything about napisan, online here it's a separate little red box.

I may just have to source something else, like the eco stuff although they're smelling ok for the moment.

Incidentally, are cloth nappies popular in NZ? They're planning to have a baby soon and I think I converted them to cloth I was thinking that when the time (hopefully) comes I'd get them a few as a baby present. Are all the usual brands available there?

Cloth seems to be more popular here afaics. Probably a combination of better weather and people tending to have more kids, less money and one SAH parent being the norm. There is an enormous range of brands in stores and online. I went to a fuzzibunz demo when I was pregnant with my first.

I wanted all natural organic cotton with woollen outers so that limited my choice a little. We did a trial of NZ brand, Nature Baby, but found that the nappies took ages to dry and the Velcro fastenings were a pain in the wash- you had to be absolutely vigilant to fasten all Velcro completely before washing or they'd come out in a giant ball which was headwrecking to untangle. Imse Vimse are brilliant IMO but I haven't tried the synthetic brands. Bamboo is supposed to be brilliant.

lazygal

If anyone is considering buying or adding to a stash https://www.littlecomfort.com has a good sale on as it seems its closing down. Good bargains to be had.

Oral Slang

I don't use cloth nappies (I bought them but never used them on my daughter). Thinking of trying them this time round - due in November. Re the nappisan, I've gotten it a good few times in either Dunnes or Tesco in Tallaght (sorry can't remember which one). If some clothes got stained I'd use it in the wash.

banbhaaifric

Hi All,

Thanks so much for all the info and advice! Would have written sooner but my first reply disappeared when I tried to add a smiley, and then have had some hospital drama in the meantime.... Am hoping for some boring times but with the baby coming by c-section in a couple of weeks I don't think it is going to happen.

So I collected the bumgenius nappies I got from donedeal in a carpark a couple of weeks ago (was a bit like a shady drug deal :eek:), and to my disappointment, and having been assured otherwise, the elastic is gone in all the legs.... Popped in to the zip yard out of curiosity to see how much they would charge and when they said €12 per nappy I scraped my jaw off the floor and slowly backed out... So I am slowly but surely replacing them myself, it's not hard but fiddly and I suffered some sight loss recently which isn't helping. I've done them by hand so far, but maybe I'll brave the sewing machine and see if it helps or hinders.

We will mostly use disposables for the first couple of weeks anyway so I'm not under too much pressure - and the baby is small so I'm not sure how well they would fit anyway....

Regarding washing them - do most of you 'dry pail' them or soak them. And what about drying them in winter...? We were going to string up a victorian airer style thing in the void above the stairs to dry them, but should they be exposed to the sun after every wash?

Also any tips on the best budget detergents to use?

And thanks again for all info - it feels like a bit of a minefield at the moment!

lazygal

I don't soak mine, never needed to. A cold rinse, wash with a tablespoon or two (depending on poos) of ecosprout (I add tea tree oil the odd time if I remember) at 60 degrees and an extra rinse and spin keeps mine clean. Soaking is more for the old terrycloth style - the new microfibre ones are much easier to clean. The fuzzibunz I use dry overnight on a clothes horse, we don't have a dryer. The nappies dry in no time, its the liners that might need to go on a radiator the odd time. To keep down smells from the nappy bin I stick a pantyliner with a few drops of tea tree oil on it on the inside of the lid.

MurdyWurdy

I dry pail mine - just a quick rinse with the shower head and put in a mesh bag in the bucket. Then when it's full I transfer the mesh bag to the washing machine with a small amount of washing powder, do a cold rinse and then a wash at 40C.

I dry mine on a clothes horse so in the winter I'll just put them on the radiator. If they 're stained I might go over to my parents and borrow their washing line every so often. So far because my boy is mainly breastfed they don't stain though. We'll see what happens when he is on solids!

We had a poo explosion here earlier - it was everywhere and I was worried the cloth nappies weren't holding up. Until I changed him and saw my hubby had put a disposable on him because the cloth ones were waiting to be prepped with the inserts. Whatever shape my LO is the disposables leak far more often than cloth ones do!

lazygal

We have more leaks with disposable one too,and they smell funny. Sometime I think she's done a poo at night but its the chemical smell.

MurdyWurdy

lazygal wrote: »

We have more leaks with disposable one too,and they smell funny. Sometime I think she's done a poo at night but its the chemical smell.

I find the kind of netting/mesh thing inside the nappy gets stuck to his skin too with disposables (pampers). He had a terrible nappy rash in his first few weeks (i had to get prescription cream from my GP). I feel like the reusable ones are nicer on his skin too. I'm loving the cloth so far!

Just had another poo explosion, apart from some wicking on one leg the cloth nappy contained it well - such a difference to the disposable one from earlier!

Guestboarder

Sorry to drag up this convo again but I too am considering using cloth nappies for my baba when he/she comes. The posts have been really helpful and I'm getting my head around it all.
One question Im stuck on is what type of cloth nappies did everyone find to be the best??
I've seen that there re pocket nappies, all in ones, nappy and cover system etc...
If anyone can advise me on which they found to be the best I'd be very grateful!

MurdyWurdy

Guestboarder wrote: »

Sorry to drag up this convo again but I too am considering using cloth nappies for my baba when he/she comes. The posts have been really helpful and I'm getting my head around it all.
One question Im stuck on is what type of cloth nappies did everyone find to be the best??
I've seen that there re pocket nappies, all in ones, nappy and cover system etc...
If anyone can advise me on which they found to be the best I'd be very grateful!

I like pocket nappies for day and a two part system (tots bots stretch bamboozles with a blueberry wrap) with extra boosting for night

iguana

I use two part nappies (Little Lambs) and pocket nappies. I like the Little Lambs for nights, when I'm babywearing (as I find pockets are more likely to leak if he is on me for long times) and for play times when my son might do anything that is 'crotch dangly' like go in a jumperoo or bouncer as they spread his weight more evenly and provide him with more of a seat. I use pockets for quick changes when we're out. I also usually provide pre-stuffed pockets if anyone else is changing his nappy.

madeinamerica

Hi there. I'm about to start cloth nappies for my 3 month old and would love to hear how others are doing with cloth. I just read this thread and would like some more recent info. I've got the flip covers and stay-dry inserts. Does it make s lot of difference what they are washed in? Reg detergent vs the special detergents? Do you ever bleach the nappies? I was recommended to bleach them once a month, which horrified my mother. Do the inserts take long to dry indoors? For anyone using cloth wipes, what ones did you find good? Any other info would be great, thanks.

dori_dormer

Hello! I've been using cloth for the past 6 months on my boy. I'm finding it grand, the odd little leak every now and again. We use BUm genius free times, elementals and tots bits mainly. I used flips on. Holiday but found them useless for us.
The general guidelines on washing are no softener s except clay based ( chemical word begins with a z but can't remember) no gel / liquid. A common brand that meets all requirements is bold 2 in 1 lavender powder. A lot use ecosprout available from babame online.

Bleaching is only done in the us. They have diluted bleach. Never heard of anyone over here doing it. The sun will take out any stains.

I rinse on cold, wash at 60 with full dose of powder, then a rinse again. If you have soft water you may not need a full dose of powder.

I use cheeky wipes. You can get a great set. I got the bamboo man size ones and they are brill!

I hang everything to dry on an airer near a rad and open window. Microfibres dries in less than 24 hours. Bamboo takes a little longer. Tumble drying can ruin the elastic s and pul so isn't advised.

You should join some of the Facebook groups they are great for info. Cloth nappy chat group ireland is one to start with!

madeinamerica

Thanks a mill, dori! Great info! I am living in the US where I heard about the bleach. I'll check out one of the Facebook groups. Cheers!

dori_dormer

Oh ok. In the us if you don't use an approved brand of powder your warranty is void! I know bumgenius do one. Also heard many people use tide.

Lots of US Facebook groups out there!

Millem

I just did a trial for 2 weeks which I would really recommend before investing in them. I was told to use a non bio detergent and only use half the normal amount. I found they were not for me!

madeinamerica

Oh I didn't know that about the warranty, must look into it more cheers.

Thanks millem, good to hear all sides. I bought a few first to try and they seemed to go OK. Fingers crossed it continues